


Turning the Tides

by TeriTheTacticalUnicorn



Series: Ella Marx in Thedas [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Ancient Elvhen, Anders and Justice, Anders is his own Warning, Angst, Dragon Age Lore, F/M, Fenris is still a hot jerk, Fluff, Heartbreak, Mage Hawke - Freeform, Modern Girl in Thedas, Nephilim, Not A Happy Ending, Sebastian is still a Chantry Boy, The Hanged Man - Freeform, but we love him, canonical racism, elven pantheon - Freeform, fast burn, ignorance, my obvious dimension-jump trope, spotify playlist accompaniment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:28:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23862304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeriTheTacticalUnicorn/pseuds/TeriTheTacticalUnicorn
Summary: Ella Marx has been running from Nephilim Slayers her entire life, and when shot by one, is transported to a world she only knows as fiction in a video game series! As the child of an Angel and Mortal, she has special abilities that could end up saving her or persecuting her in Thedas.Spotify Playlist for this Fic: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6jUdL9tBGdiHTSSMgQYS4S?si=0REmTiu8SHajz0fnXLx_GA
Relationships: Anders/Female Hawke, Fenris/Original Female Character(s), Solas (Dragon Age)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Ella Marx in Thedas [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1724521
Comments: 14
Kudos: 42
Collections: Modern Girl in Thedas





	1. A Nephilim in Thedas

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Bad Moon Rising](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11106576) by [Heldpeach](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heldpeach/pseuds/Heldpeach). 



> This story is something of a plot bunny I've had for the better part of a year. When I recently read Bad Moon Rising, I had to finally put it down and felt empowered to do so thanks to that story.

  
  


Her body ached, all she remembered was running through Frazier Wood in northern Maine and the crack of a gun from behind her. A true, honest hunt of Frazier, Maine's Vet. Ella had no idea that one of her patients owners was a Slayer*. If she had, she wouldn't have moved there.

In her 29 years, all she knew was to run; never stay in one place more than five years, never create lasting emotional bonds, and never give up the leader of the Nephilim… which was Ella now that her parents had perished. The rules had kept the Slayers at bay since she watched them burn her sister in an Iowa field when she was seven. These people didn't care what age the ' _ demon _ ' was, they all had to burn because of their abilities. Elise was only five when they set her aflame with their mother. 

Now she lay at the mouth of a forest with no recollection of how she came to be there. She sat up to find she still wore the pink sundress she had caught on so many branches that the ends were frayed and muddy. Her Auburn hair was coming loose of it's long braid and had twigs and leaves protruding from the curls that had come loose. Her daughter Kate was nowhere in sight. 

Standing, Ella nearly toppled back to the ground as her head swam with strange images of… she couldn't put a name to the glowing entities in her mind. 

"Where on Earth am I?" She said aloud as she pulled the hair tie from the end of her impossibly long hair that reached her backside and quickly put it into a new braid. Looking around, a large, naked creature ran past her making a noise she knew from somewhere. When more ran by and one stopped to sniff at her dress she realized what it was.

"No, this can't be real. This  _ CANNOT _ be real." She sat in the grass as her golden eyes looked over the nug in wonder. These animals weren't real… that would mean she was in Thedas, and Thedas was just a made up place by Bioware!

"When I find out who gave me up to the Slayers, I'm going to remove their eyeballs from their sockets! God damnit!" She screamed as a herd of halla ran into the woods down the hill from where she was. She could see smoke from a small village and began her trek towards it in immeasurable anger. Her ‘Nef marks’ were thankfully invisible to any mortals, so Ella didn't have to worry about people gawking at strange rune tattoos all over her body. Depending on the timeline, Thedas could be in the middle of a blight. She needed to know the date.

Before reaching the village, however, Ella came across a hidden cache nearly overgrown by brush and tall grass; it was as if it had been forgotten by time. The lock had been rusted beyond repair and the lid opened with little force. Inside was, thankfully, a pair of breeches, an emerald and gold inlaid tunic with the weird Thedosian clasps she recognized from Inquisition, boots, and a fur-lined cloak. The most important find was a belt pouch full of gold coins and a dagger. 

Once changed, Ella felt less out of place and much warmer. She continued towards the village. 

*****

  
  


Ella reached the small village, the sign at the entrance telling her it was Honnleath; a small village near Redcliffe in Ferelden. It just proved her Thedas theory beyond any doubt. By the time she found the tavern and inn, the sun was descending and giving way to Thedas' twin moons. 

Once she paid for a room, which only cost her two gold sovereigns, she had plenty left over to purchase herself some supper. It was some kind of delicious stew with a decent sized wedge of aged cheese, half of a small loaf of fresh bread and a mug of warm, spiced ale. She ate outside on a bench looking out into the middle of the village; a small, round center stood nearly overgrown with a small fence around it. Was that where Shale once stood? 

A passerby was gracious enough to indulge her 'amnesia' story; it was currently 9:35 Dragon. The Hero of Ferelden was now the Queen of Ferelden, married to King Alistair. 

_ At least it's a good world state. What if Anora had become Queen? Ferelden would be screwed!  _ She thought to herself as she sat the tray down on the empty bench and slowly drank the ale, watching people head home from their market stalls and shops. 

She would need to acquire some sort of notebook and keep a list of the current state of the world she had found herself in.

She was grateful when she quickly fell asleep, but the dream she had had felt so real…

_ "Mommy!" She could hear the fear in Kate's voice as they ran from the Slayer through the woods.  _

_ "Go baby, run!" She urged her eight year old daughter. The next thing was a bright light, silhouettes of people with wings. _

_ "Go and live… help these people. You know their paths already." The voices said in unison.  _

She woke with a start, the last voice she heard was her daughter screaming for her. "KATE!" 

Sitting stock straight in her undergarments and an undershirt, her heart raced as she recalled the dream. Nephilim were feared, but not well known. The pointed ears could be hidden with rune tattoos, as could the special eyes; children born of angels and humans usually had gold or violet eyes, and ears that came to a point, but could be hidden by long hair or deitical runes. 

Looking in the mirror in her borrowed room, she could see that her pointed ears were no longer hidden from view, nor were her eyes. The runes stayed concealed, however. Ella resigned to keep her hair in a ponytail, to conceal her ears; she could be mistaken for an elf, and she knew how elf-blooded people were treated in Thedas. 

After a breakfast of what was either grits or oatmeal, she found the quartermaster, purchased a beautiful mirewood bow and fifty arrows for four sovereigns. The quartermaster told her where she could find the stablemaster, and from him she purchased a three year old chestnut Ferelden Forder mare, a new saddle and tack, and a bag full of carrots and apples. By the time she had left Honnleath, she had spent at least fifty sovereigns.

The last things she purchased were maps of Ferelden, Orlais, and the Free Marches. She was headed to Denerim, and north to Kirkwall. The reason wasn't clear, but she felt a pull towards the City of Chains. Perhaps the dream silhouettes meant she was supposed to help the Heroes of Thedas? She wouldn’t know until she got there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * A slayer is a human who was raised to annihilate Nephilim on Earth. This person or persons are the equivalent to witch hunters. Nephilim DO NOT have magical abilities, but have special abilities thanks to their immortal blood.


	2. The City of Chains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ella finally reaches Kirkwall and meets Hawke and Company. People have made up their own mind about the strange elf-blooded woman with the scars on her back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters today. Please don't mind any gramattical errors, I am doing this without my usual team of Betas and Editors.

It took nearly two months for Ella to reach Denerim on horseback. She had passed through Haven and somehow she knew she would see it again in the future. Now her coin purse was much lighter than it had been when she found it. The night she stayed in Redcliffe she had counted them in her room; one-hundred and twenty gold sovereigns, eighty-seven silver, and two-hundred and eleven copper. 

She didn’t realize that staying in Inns and purchasing soaps and clothing and feed for her horse Vienna would cost so much. Now the ship Captain wanted forty gold to take her and her horse to Kirkwall. Rolling her golden eyes, she forked over the forty sovereigns. 

Once Vienna was loaded with the other horses in the hold, it was another hour before the actually set sail. She could have compelled him to let her aboard for free, but the last thing she needed was for one of the crewmen to see her do it and shout Mage. She had realized in South Reach the extent of most of her abilities still remained. She couldn’t use her  _ Hush _ ability, cloaking runes, or cleansing runes, but she could still compel people, cast a warmth rune on the ground and could still use a bow with little effort thanks to the strength rune etched down her spine. She had also killed fourteen men on her travels; six were attempted rapers, four were trying to rob her and four were bandits trying to steal her horse. Thedas reeked of death and excrement, especially in more populated areas like Denerim. 

After two weeks aboard the  _ Amaranthine Mermaid _ , She could finally see the huge statues that stood watch over Kirkwall’s harbor. Pieces of a Qunari dreadnaught floated in the bay. Once on land, she was told the Qunari had invaded a week before, but were quickly dispatched by Hawke and gang the same day. Her next venture would be finding the Hanged Man to get a room. 

It didn’t take long to find, and once inside she pulled out the notebook she purchased in redcliffe and read over what she had written so far.

_ Warden was Female Cousland, is now Queen of Ferelden and Alistair is King. _

_ It is November (Havestmere) 9:35, should be in Act Two of Kirkwall meaning a lot of Qunari _

_ Hawke is Female, no other information on the Hawke family but met a nice old man who used to live in Lothering and knew the family _

_ Something, some kind of force, is pulling me towards Kirkwall. A feeling that I need to help Hawke. I don’t know how to explain it _

Looking over her own notes, she shook her head. She had been in Kirkwall for two hours and hadn’t heard nor seen hide nor tail of Hawke or the group of wonderful heathens.She absentmindedly pushed her hair behind her ear, securing the unwanted attention of some Darktown scum.

“Hey knife-ear, wanna tumble around in a backroom for some coin!” One of the men shouted at her from across the dimly lit tavern. She tried to ignore the men, but all four of them soon were jeering and cat-calling her. That’s when she noticed the group of Hawke and her companions walking in. One of the assholes walked over to her and sat next to her at the bar and grabbed her ass.

She quickly pulled her dagger from its sheath and held it to the man’s throat, “If you wish to keep your life, I suggest you and your lowlife friends scatter before I put all of you down.” She said as the dirty man pissed himself. Hawke started clapping and all but Fenris and Anders were hooting and hollering as the four men tripped over each other to get out of the tavern. Varric was the first to approach her and invite her to their table.

“Hello little red, I’m Varric and my friend Hawke sure does wanna meet you. Come on.” He said, helping her carry her knapsack as she picked up her bow. 

“I’m Ella, it’s nice to meet you, Master Tethras.” She said, eliciting a look from the dwarf. “Yes, I know who you are, and the Champion of Kirkwall and her companions of course.” 

Sitting in the only empty chair at the pushed-together tables, everyone in the tavern ogled her ears. Elves without vallaslin in Kirkwall lived in the Alienage. They didn’t stay at The Hanged Man. The scars on her arms and back were visible. Most thought her an escaped slave because she spoke Latin to a man in Honnleath who had left Tevinter for a better life with his elven wife. She didn’t tell them any different so she would fit in. 

“What’s your story, Little Red? How’d you end up in Kirkwall?” Varric asked as she stood to remove her cloak, laying it on the chair behind her.

“For a better life than the one I was living.” She answered in the half-truth she had been reciting since she left Honnleath. She was an “elf-blood”, a cast-off from Tevinter as far as anyone could tell. She didn’t have to say it, they just assumed it when they saw her scars. Being whipped by Slayers when she was seven, it was as good a story as any, so she went with it.

“Nobody comes to Kirkwall for a better life, maybe to escape something.” Hawke said as she chuckled and took a healthy swig of the ale in her cup. 

“Kirkwall seemed a better place than Fereldan, so here I am.” She said as a cup was brought to her. Fenris still stared at the scars that littered her bare arms and neck, she turned to him, “If you have a Question, Fenris, just ask it. I hate it when people stare.” She said, and Fenris seemed taken aback by her golden gaze and red hair. 

The night went on and she had heard from each of the companions and Hawke that they could use her talents of scaring people half to death on their side. She accepted and bade each of them goodnight as she fled the common area for her room, which happened to be across the hall from Varric’s. Sleep evaded her most of the night, her dreams of Kate and the… beings, had made sleep nearly impossible anymore. 

She wasn’t sure if it was the Elvhen pantheon, or Thedas’ deities, but they were not the deities she knew. 


	3. Bound to You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a side quest and a little fluff between Fenris and Ella after he sees something he wasn't supposed to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot stop writing this, I am not even keeping count of words anymore, when I think it's a good stopping point it works and is up.

Her own screams woke her, she was shaking and sitting in the back corner of her room in The Hanged Man when Varric, Hawke and Fenris found her. Tears fell down her pale cheeks as her eyes met each of her friend’s faces. 

Ella had been a part of Hawke’s little band of misfits for nearly two months, and had been fighting alongside people who trusted her and helped her while they traveled. It was only when they had down time, the in-between quests and suicide missions that got to her. Fenris and Hawke usually stayed closeby, they both thought it was trauma from being a slave, and they were half right. The Slayers that held her captive for three years when she was younger kept her as a slave. She just wasn’t a Tevinter slave like they believed. 

Both Hawke and Fenris had offered up spare bedrooms in their homes to her that night. They lived across the way from each other so she didn’t really care. She packed her things into her knapsack, grabbed her notebook off the table in the room as well as her cloak from it’s tossed place on the back of the chair and left the confines of the hanged man in the middle of the night with Fenris and Hawke at each side. Kirkwall was not safe at night, no matter where in the city you were going.

They were going to clear out the Dragon Pit tomorrow, and yet they were worried about Ella’s mental health more than the dragons they’d be facing. It had been so long since she had people care for her in that way. She went to Hawke’s mansion, and she showed her to the bedroom meant for when her brother stayed in the city. 

The next morning, Ella was in Hawke’s tiny training yard with her bow, shooting at the immobile target as she moved this way and that, dodging imagined attacks and still in her nightdress and barefoot. She had taken to wearing the footwraps Merrill had gifted to her. She wanted to tell them everything she had endured, but it would mean telling them she was from an entirely different dimension and planet. Ella had read enough fanfiction to know that only had two outcomes: First, they’d believe her and still have her back, or second, and more likely, they’d cast her aside and never trust her again. 

A clearing of someone’s throat startled her, making her arrow hit the house across from Hawke’s. “Looks like you’re getting better, Little Red.” Varric said sarcastically. 

“Very funny  _ durgen’len _ , you distracted me. Is it time already?” She asked and Varric nodded.

“Yup, now go get dressed unless you want your pretty nightgown to catch fire today.” He said as she rolled her eyes and made her way back inside and set her bow and quiver on the kitchen table. She wasn’t expecting all of the Champion’s companions to be waiting in the main hall when she entered it, and quickly turned beet red before hurrying up the stairs and into her chambers.

Once she was in her room, she quickly washed and dressed in a pair of leather breeches, a loose cotton tunic meant for a man twice her size and her footwraps. She braided her hair, no longer hiding her ears away from the world since everyone had already just assumed she was an elf. She knew Elvhen from the internet, the games, and just straight up fanfiction. She knew Latin, or  _ Tevene _ from her time in private school in Vienna, Spain. Fenris had yet to hear her use it, but he eyed her suspiciously anyway.

He had expressed his distrust the third day she was in Hawke’s employ and he had caught her translating some documents they had found in a smuggler’s cave for Hawke. That was when Hawke explained that Ella was also an escaped slave, probably more enthusiastically than she had intended. 

Ever since then he would look at her like she was a venomous snake who needed its head removed. She wasn’t a spy, but he would never believe her if she said it aloud. She rejoined the group of gawking companions and shook her head at some of the jeers coming from Varric, Anders and Hawke. 

“We didn’t know you were a  _ woman _ , Red.” Varric chuckled and Hawke tried to settle everyone as Ella went to retrieve her weapons from the kitchen. They were on their way out of Kirkwall in no time.

There was never anyone protecting the Dragon Pit in the games; Ella had to learn not to take video game tactics too seriously anymore after today. She hadn’t even felt the arrow protruding from her back until Fenris said something once all of the bandits and dragons were dispatched. “Gods, Ella are you alright?” He asked, genuinely concerned.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” She asked, confusion clearly plastered on her alabaster face. 

“You have an arrow in your shoulder, Red.” Varric said, nodding to her left shoulder blade. Turning she could see the obtrusive objects fletching and tried to reach it to pull it out, but couldn’t.

Fenris stepped up and pulled the arrow out quickly, amazed that seconds later after discarding the arrow, all that was left was a pink scar, which she quickly hid with her shirt. “Kaffas!” He said and she stepped away. 

Ella had vanished once they arrived back in Kirkwall the next morning. She went back to Hawke’s mansion and retrieved her belongings. Merrill had offered the use of a second cot she recently acquired and said she could stay as long as she’d like. That’s where she felt she belonged. In the alienage with other elves, where she wouldn’t draw as much attention to herself. She never wanted to show off her natural abilities like that and she also cursed in tevene when Fenris showed up at Merrill’s door just after the small bloodmage left for the markets.

“Kaffas! Fenris, can I help you?” She asked, looking away from his eyes. 

“Hawke sent me to find you. It wasn’t a difficult task, she believed you had left Kirkwall. I assured her you hadn’t. Why are you staying here?” He asked in that gruff voice she actually adored.

“It’s where I belong in Thedas. You’re wondering how I healed so quickly without magical or medical intervention, correct?” She asked, still looking at the floor. He intimidated her. Here he wasn’t a poorly rendered image on the screen of her laptop; he was a real, living, breathing person. Where Fenris spoke about Denarius all of the time, she never spoke of her former “ _ masters _ ” But she had the Pavus name in mind if anyone asked. 

She was also hoping if and when she ever met Dorian, he would validate any story she told. The Pavus patriarch kept elven slaves, even had elf-blooded children with a few according to the Tevinter mage she had met in Honnleath, so it wasn’t a stretch to think one of them would flee his service.

Fenris never asked her, though. He lifted her face by the chin gently so she would look into his eyes. The only thing she could say as she stared into his emerald eyes was, “You’re not a slave, Fenris. Not to Denarius, or your past.” She said it in a way that was carefully articulated, but in a whisper so only he could hear as golden eyes met emeralds. A tear rolled down her cheek as he lay a small kiss on her forehead and thanked her. 

She wasn’t sure when she started caring what Fenris thought of her. He was the one person she never romanced in the games because he was always so gruff towards her character. This was a side she never expected of him. Not in a hundred years did she expect gentle, caring Fenris. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Durgen'len (Elvhen) - Child of the Stone


	4. Somebody to Die For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short explanatory chapter. Are you ready to be shook? I wasn't and I wrote it!

Ella was in a different place when she slept now; an open field with wildflowers growing in patches as far as the eye could see. This time was different, however. She saw her father, his long, ash blonde hair, pulled back so half of it was pulled into a warrior’s tail and half fell down his back showing his pointed ears. A glowing blue runestone sat at his chest, hanging from a silver chain from his neck. Kate was with him as well, but she hadn’t noticed her mother.

“Father. Where is she? Is she safe?” Ella asked her father as she walked barefoot in the grass in a gossamer white gown. 

“She is with you, in Thedas. I do not know where, my darling daughter.” He said, looking upon his grandchild with pride. Ella noticed he was different somehow. He no longer had wings. He looked more like Elvhen fanart than an angel.

“Where have your wings gone?” She asked as she bent down to pick a flower.

“My wings were never mine to keep, I was simply borrowing them in your mother’s world. Thedas is our true ancestral home, my dear. My name is not Gabriel, it is June. You know who imprisoned us, he has not yet woken from Uthenera, but he will soon. You are the only one who can help him tear down the veil, Ella. And Fenris will keep you grounded. Katherine is near Amaranthine, but I cannot see her completely, for she is only half Elvhen. Find her before danger does.” He explained and Ella could not speak as he kissed the crown of her head and vanished from her dream.

Ella woke up, she was back in her room at Hawke’s since Fenris asked her to come back. She threw her covers off and sprinted down the hall to Hawke’s bedroom, knocking hard enough to break her hand. “Ella, it’s the middle of the night.” Anders said as he answered the door.

“It’s important, Hawke. I wouldn’t wake you if it wasn’t.” Ella said and Hawke nodded while Anders left them to talk. 

“What is it, Ella? Did you sense something again?” Hawke asked, she knew Ella had been trying to find her daughter. 

“Somewhere near Amaranthine, seems my father is watching out for the both of us. We need to find her, Marianne, she’s only eight.” The tears welling up in her eyes had Hawke nodding.

“Go fetch Fenris, he’ll want to know we’ve almost found her.” She nodded and was almost out of the bedroom before stopping to gawk at Hawke.

"You… you told Fenris about Katherine?” She asked as a tear fell from her face. Hawke crossed the room and hugged her friend.

“He asked what else you were hiding. You were so forthcoming to me about her, and Fenris cares about you. He cares about your little girl too. Go get him and meet everyone at the Hanged man in an hour. We need a ship.” She said and without even putting her slippers on, Ella was out of the house in moments and on Fenris’ doorstep.

“Ella? It’s not even dawn, what are you…” He asked as she stepped under the arm he used to hold the door open.

“Hawke told me she told you about my daughter. We’ve got a location on her, Fenris. She’s in Ferelden.” Her voice shook with excitement and fear for her daughter. “I haven’t seen her in six months since I left… it’s almost her birthday.” She said as the tears welling up in her big golden eyes became too painful to hold back.

“Let’s go get her, Ella.” Was all he said before wrapping his arms around her. Varric met them back at Hawke’s mansion.

“You’re too young to be a mother, Red. What were you like ten when you had her?” He asked, looking at her face. 

“How old do you think I am, Varric? If you must know I was twenty-one when I had my daughter. Her father was a piece of trash who didn’t stick around long enough to even see me pregnant.” She said as Fenris released her hand so she could go change into some traveling gear. 

Ella quickly pulled on a pair of breeches, one of the tank tops she made herself from fabric she got in the market, and was lacing her boots when Hawke and Fenris came into her room to make sure she wasn’t falling apart.

It was an hour later that they stood in the almost empty commonroom of The Hanged Man, Sebastian was complaining to Anders that the sun hadn’t yet risen and that he would miss the morning Chant.

Everyone had rolled their eyes at Sebastian, Varric asked if Sebastian _had_ to come. Hawke assured him that this precious cargo needed all hands on deck. 

Before they all knew it, they had set sail for Denerim. They were already so close, Ella could feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was not the plan LOL My brain did a thing all by itself and I'm just going with it at this point because it makes some semblance of sense.


	5. The Joke's on Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More shaking, hope you have prepared to be unprepared for this chapter!

**_One Month Later_ **

From Denerim the pack of misfits rode on horseback to Amaranthine and had been in the port city for almost a fortnight. The last place they had to look was the alienage, however only Fenris and Ella would be allowed to enter. 

"What if we don't find her, Fenris? I don't know how I would be if I didn't find her…" Ella said, worrying over the most menial things as she paced their shared room in the inn. He had been what kept the nightmares at bay since they were on the ship to Denerim. 

"She's a small child, with pointed ears. We will find her Ella." Fenris said affirmatively, hugging her from behind.

Tomorrow was their last day to find Kate; trouble had begun brewing in Kirkwall during their sudden hiatus. Hawke had the idea of making a huge spectacle in the alienage, get everyone out of their homes, find Kate, back to Kirkwall. 

Fenris handed Ella a cup of the herbal tea she had purchased in Denerim; it tasted like spearmint and helped with the constant stuffy nose she had from the seasons changing. She bought an entire bag of the stuff to take back with her to Kirkwall. 

The next morning, Ella dressed in a pair of laced leather breeches, a thin tank made from orlesian silk and the new leather coat she had purchased from a leathersmith, it reminded her of a trench coat with a cinched waist. Only hers was made from wyvern scales. Pulling her weapons belt around her waist, she took a deep breath and found the courage to take one more day of searching. Then it was back to Denerim for some sort of party for Hawke thrown by Alistair and the Hero of Ferelden.

Marching into the square, Fenris had an ever-searching eye out for the little girl he watched Ella sketch so many times. They met their band of heathens in front of Amaranthine's alienage, Hawke was being escorted by Teyrn Fergus Cousland himself. The guards grudgingly let all of them into the alienage, while muttering slurs aimed towards herself and Fenris.

"Listen up! The Champion of Kirkwall and her companions are looking for a little elven girl answering to Kate or Katherine, her mother is very worried and…" Teyrn Cousland began just as a little golden haired girl stepped out from the crowd holding the hand of an elderly elf woman.

"Katie!" Ella cried as she ran towards the girl who'd been brought in front of them. Her violet eyes lit up in recognition of her mother as she ran to her mother. 

"Mamae! You found me! Grandpop said you were looking." Her little voice was like a little bell as she cried into her mother's shoulder and hugged her as hard as her little arms could. 

Ella thanked the elderly elf, whose name was V'Lera and she spent the day in the alienage with the people who cared for her daughter when she couldn't. Hawke surprised the gathered elves with coin, and plenty of it to feed and clothe their children for at least the next six moons. Marianne also urged the elders to keep it until it was needed, that way the humans didn't take it. It was a reward as much as a thanks.

Fenris watched as Ella slept with Kate in her arms. It was the most peaceful he had ever seen her sleep, no golden eyes flying open from a nightmare, some unseen terrors or those same beautiful eyes crying out in a half-asleep dream. Just soft breathing coming from a mother who'd found the person who made her a mother. 

The next morning, Ella gave her daughter new clothes for travel and after both had broken their fast, they were setting sail from Amaranthine. Fenris was guarding Kate like she was his blood, showing her what he knew about the ship. 

**_Two weeks later_ **

**_**This part of the chapter was written to the song Joke's on You by Charlotte Lawrence (Birds of Prey)**_ **

They had just arrived back in Kirkwall and were finally heading towards Hightown when Ella collapsed in the middle of the street. Her golden eyes had dulled, almost to the color of a dead dandelion. The empty, cold eyes stared up at the cloudy sky as her mind vanished to someplace else.

Ella opened her eyes and was in the field where she usually spoke to her father. Several voices argued and complained. 

_"Did June think he could trick us? Bringing his child to Thedas to aid the monster who put us behind the veil?" A woman's voice boomed in the too-large space. Ella's face twisted as she listened to who she assumed were her Elvhen Aunts and Uncles. She lost all sense of decorum as she stomped towards the voices._

_"How dare you! My father is the reason most of you are still alive after Fen'Harel's deceit! You should be ashamed at the way you speak of your fellow Elvhen!" Ella screamed at Andruil, who was the one speaking ill. Her father stepped out of the mouth of the woods, his head held high. She knew who the real hero was, even if the Pantheon had assholes in it, most of them were good and had redeemed themselves in the last thousand years._

_"Calm your offspring, June. She nigh knows of what she speaks. The Dread Wolf tricked us and trapped us beyond the veil for a millenia. We can only walk amongst those of different dimensions and have not seen our homes in so long, nor our people." Andruil spat at Ella and June in turn. Since Andruil and Dirthamen were the ones who betrayed Mythal. Who betrayed the Dread Wolf._

_"My child is one of only six full-blooded Elvhen children born of this pantheon. She has every right to speak on my behalf, as does Falon'Din's son Joshua, or Sylaise's daughters Aris and Amenia, or Elgar'nan's sons Edgar and Jerard. Would you speak to any child of pure blood this way?" June asked in a cool tone, his hands rested behind his back as he stood next to Ella, who fidgeted with the flowing dress she always seemed to be in when she arrived in the meadow._

_"Allow her access to the fade, then. Or do you fear your child's magic in the world where mages run rampant or crazed?" Andruil's red eyes fell on Ella, who stood her ground to the seven foot goddess._

When she woke, Ella was laying on Fenris' lap in the street. Her eyes lit up like a golden chandelier as Ella screamed in pain. Her father had restored her connection to the fade and magic flowed freely through her veins like red hot strands of metal being pulled through every nerve ending. 

Fenris nearly dropped her as the ground that surrounded the writhing, screaming woman began to blacken and singe.

"She's… a…" Fenris stammered as a tear flowed freely from his eye.

"That's not possible! She's not a mage, we would've noticed that in the eight months she's been in Kirkwall with us. Anders has never felt any magic from her before…" Hawke said as she backed away from the singing ground where now violet flames kissed cobbles.

"She's wasn't a mage… but now I feel magicks That are very old, ancient, even." Anders said as he watched Ella scream.

That was when Varric watched as Fenris stormed away towards Hightown in defeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The SCANDAL! I know...


	6. Silhouettes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been ten months since Ella got her daughter back, Fenris is being his usual, mage-ignorant self. A bit of angsty angst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song for this chapter is called Silhouette by Aquilo, it is on the playlist tagged in the summary of chapter one as are any other songs I may mention for certain chapters.

**_Haring*, 9:36 Dragon_ **

Fenris had barely said twenty words to Ella in the past year. He would also stay behind when Hawke asked for her assistance on a quest. After the initial shock of his ignorance, Ella went through the motions, screaming at her dad for allowing her to know her mage abilities without asking her if that was what _she_ wanted. 

Six months after she had become her full ‘Elvhen’ self as her father eloquently put it, she was able to afford a home in Hightown across the way from Hawke. Hawke also trained her how to use a staff, choosing to believe her story about her father being an Elven God. Ella was surprised, because to her it sounded absolutely daft the whole way through. Anders said her magic didn’t feel like any mage he had come into contact with; her magic felt old, powerful, and her aura had turned a medium shade of violet, as had her eyes. 

Nine months after Fenris had begun ignoring her, she would catch glimpses of him on his balcony while she sat with Kate in the early evening. Their relationship would not heal from this, she knew that. She also knew that Anders had begun acting weird, he was jumpier than usual. 

It had been exactly ten months since she collapsed near the Kirkwall docks. She had also met Cullen that day when he tried to drag her to the Gallows. Ella was not impressed with lyrium-addled Cullen, he was an asshat. Thankfully, Hawke covered for Ella; she told him it was a runaway that had burnt Ella, whose clothes were literally on fire as he dragged her by her arms.

She sat in the Chantry with Kate everyday for the morning Chant with Sebastian, Hawke, and Varric, who didn’t pay any attention to anything the Revered Mother was saying. She knew Anders would be putting plans in motion within the next three or four moons, and she wasn’t the least bit prepared for an exploding Chantry. She also didn’t know how Hawke would react. 

Would she execute him, or allow him to escape after murdering hundreds of innocents during prayer? Ella didn’t have the answers, but couldn’t risk Hawke or Anders’ ire by revealing these plans. She had begun having Bodahn scribe letters to the Revered Mother once a week warning her about impending danger as a ‘ _concerned citizen_ ’. Thankfully, the Revered Mother had shortened times for the Chant to one hour in the morning and one in the evening. 

She didn’t know how many innocents she could save by writing to the Revered Mother each week, nor the exact date of Anders act of terrorism. Even the time she spent with him, and becoming his friend, she could not see him or Justice as more than two terrorists in one body. 

The past year had finally caught up to Ella after her literal run-in with Fenris; she bumped into him in the market after morning chant. Kate had wanted a new dress, so off to the dressmaker they went. Fenris backed into her while looking for a new whetstone for his sword.

“I’m so sorry ser-” She said, but when she turned to apologize, she saw Fenris retreating as if he’d been bitten by a venomous animal. When she arrived back at her home, she asked Healena to watch Kate, the housekeeper was happy to oblige and took the nine year old into the library for her studies. 

Ella was not okay; she stood with her back to her bedroom door, listening for the library doors to slide closed before dropping down and wrapping her arms around her legs and letting silent tears fall to the stone floor. She and Fenris had once been the best of friends, and just as quickly as they began their relationship, he was a stranger. A silhouette of her past that haunted nearly every dream. Green eyes and white hair and lyrium brands that would glow as he fought.

It was these times that she wished with all of her might that she could wake up in her own bed, in her little cottage in Maine. And then remembering she could never return to her modern life knowing she could make a difference here, no matter how badly she wished for comfort food like ice cream and pizza.

She tucked Kate in that night, receiving a visit from Hawke afterwards so her friend could tell her of the day's events and share a bottle of Tevinter Red. Tonight’s recounting of events left a chill down Ella’s spine, however; Hawke had gone to the Chantry with Anders, who disappeared for a few minutes while Marianne spoke to the Revered Mother. 

Which meant his plans had already been set in motion, sooner than anticipated...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haring/Cassus is the last month in a Thedosian year, the month when Thedas celebrates Satinalia.


	7. The Battle of Kirkwall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter that will take place in Kirkwall before the start of Inquisition. There will be a few chapters to fill in the five year gap between the end of DA2 and Inquisition.
> 
> the song for this Chapter is Meet me On The Battlefield by SVRCINA
> 
> It's 2:30 am so I am finally off to bed, enjoy! I appreciate the Kudos and comments!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember that this is not being written from a video game viewpoint and Ella is our protagonist.

**_Drakonis, 9:37 Dragon_ **

  
  


A disturbingly loud knock at Ella’s door startled her from her midday meal. She didn’t even get to the door before Hawke, Merrill, Varric, Isabela, who had returned the week before, Sebastian, Fenris and Anders were falling over themselves to get into her door.

“What in the name of Sylaise…” She said, picking up the skirt of her dress to run over and help Hawke up from the entryway floor.

“We need to the markets, Orsino asked us to move post-haste.” Hawke said, out of breath.

“Alright, let me get my staff and change, I’ll be two minutes.” She said before taking her stairs two at a time and hearing Kate run into the hall and greet everyone. She had to get her daughter out of the city.

Ella quickly stripped out of her dress, trading it for a pair of bearskin breeches, one of her too-large men’s undershirts with the sleeves cut off and a bearskin vest and boots. She grabbed her daggers, sliding them into the sheathes on her belt, as well as her staff that looked like a spear with the blade wrapped on one end. Violet scraps of cloth were wrapped around the grip and tied at the ends, hanging loose with a silverite crest of June, her father, in the center. 

She descended the stairs and her companions were waiting outside of the open front door as she went to speak with Healena, “You need to take Kate to Sundermount until I come for you both. Take this, tell Mahariel that June sees this child’s safety as important.” She said, handing her housekeeper a token bearing June’s likeness; it was a token straight out of Elvhen history that Ella’s mother gave to her before her death. It would grant Kate’s safety for as long as it required by the Dalish. Nodding, Healena went to work getting a knapsack prepared for Kate and herself. 

Ella joined her friends outside and ran beside them as they began to hear yelling from the markets just below Hightown. When they arrived, Orsino was arguing with a very irate Meredith, who had completely gone addled by the red lyrium in her sword.

“Didn’t anyone tell her that shit is poison?” Ella whispered under her breath as Hawke and Anders decided to intervene. It was the afternoon, the chantry would be vacant right now, except for the sisters.

That was when Ella’s head bolted upright at Anders' words; “The Grand Cleric cannot help you!” 

“Contain yourself  _ mage _ !” Meredith spat back at Anders, who was now in her face as Ella inched closer, now standing beside Hawke. She knew what was about to unravel.

“I will not stand by and watch you treat all mages like criminals, while those who would lead us  _ bow _ to their Templar jailors!” Anders said with crazy written all over his body language as he set his staff on the ground with more force than was necessary.

“How dare you speak to me-” Orsino began, but was interrupted by Anders' monologue once more.

“The circles have failed us, Orsino. Even you should be able to see that!” Anders said as cracks in his skin and his eyes began to glow blue with Justice- no, Vengeance’s magic. “The time has come to act, there can be no half-measures.”

“Anders… What have you done?” Hawke asked as she stepped closer to him, Ella hung back with Varric, watching the scene unfold as predicted.

“There can be no turning back.” Anders said as the ground began to shake under their feet. 

The red beams of light were as bright as a nuclear explosion in an apocalyptic film. Screams could be heard from Hightown and Ella prayed to her father that Kate got out of Kirkwall. Vienna would carry both her and their housekeeper quickly away and they’d be halfway up sundermount by now.

The subsequent explosion sent debris and flames to all parts of Kirkwall, those gathered in the markets just stood in awe and Ella’s violet eyes landed on Anders as her mind only went to Kate. “You absolute piece of nugshit! You better pray to whatever deity you deem worthy that my daughter is not harmed or so help me I will cut you from nose to groin!” Her own eyes were alight with ancient elven magic as she unknowingly held Anders up by the fur of his robes with one hand and her staff in the opposite, her crimson hair blowing in the harsh winds from the explosion.

Sebastian was on the ground with tears in his eyes, praying for those in the Chantry as Ella dropped Anders to the ground. Everyone scattered after Meredith invoked the right of annulment to purge the circle, even after Ella argued that the magic that destroyed the chantry wasn’t from anyone in the circle; those mages were innocent until proven otherwise. She knew that they would be as many would turn to blood magic during the battle for Kirkwall. 

Hawke had killed Anders for his treachery, with tears in her blue eyes as she dragged her dagger across his throat.

The fight to the Gallows was a bloodbath. Demons sliding across the cobbles like tall snakes with claws had torn into Ella’s left shoulder, even after it healed, the pain was intense. They had slain both Meredith and Orsino, but at a hefty price as almost every mage perished. Carver joined the group before Meredith began to bring large statues to life. It all happened in a blur for Ella as the pain from her healed scratches burned through her body. Before she knew it, everything was over. Innocents lay burned, or slain by monstrosities. 

What broke Ella was the bodies of children who would play in the Chantry gardens, where her daughter would usually play after lunch. That’s where Hawke found her, kneeling in the grass, crying over little Arden, Lilly, Bran. The children she would welcome into her home daily for lessons and snacks.

“If you hadn’t killed him, I would have hunted him down for this, Marianne.” Ella said in a numbed voice as she held her staff in her lap, wiping her eyes.

“I would never condone what Anders did here, my friend. No matter my feelings for him.” Hawke assured her as she kneeled next to Ella, comforting her. It was nice to know that no matter how sarcastic real-life Hawke was, she would have dispatched Anders for this crime. She fought with the Templars, and Meredith’s body was a statue in the middle of the Gallows. Orsino’s mangled, monstrous body lay up on a balcony. No matter the lengths she took without outright telling someone, she still got the same result: hundreds of dead innocents caught in the crosshairs. 

Ella left Kirkwall the next day after meeting Leliana and Cassandra, who dragged Varric away because Hawke and the rest had left in the night, and headed to find her daughter with the dalish.


	8. A Legend in the Mold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A filler chapter, this covers two years of Ella's life with the Dalish.
> 
> The song for this chapter and the next four is Legends are Made by Sam Tinnesz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't know which Vallaslin is June's, go Google or Pinterest it before reading this chapter!

Ella had decided to stay with the dalish after she found them leaving Sundermount. Though she couldn't stay with clan Sabrae because they already had four mages in their clan. She and Kate were sent to clan Lavellan six months after Ella received the vallaslin for June. 

Ella actually had to hold back the laugh that bubbled up in her chest when Keeper Mahariel told her that clan Lavellan's first, Ellana Lavellan, had perished in a hunting mishap; a bear had mauled her to death. While she adored the Lavellan clan, she couldn't help but think that divine intervention had a hand in Ellana's death. Keeper Deshanna welcomed Ella has her new first, and Kate was now being trained as a second. 

Life was so much simpler with the dalish; Ella had enough knowledge from her modern world lore-searching to fit in with the elves who chose to live outside of Thedosian society. 

The violet of her magic didn't go unnoticed by her Keeper, though the elderly woman never spoke of it. Ella learned so much more about her abilities in the care of the dalish than she would have from Hawke. She helped as much as she could with watching the hunters children, entertaining them with fantastical stories of her world. 

"...and the great birds hit the towers, killing so many on impact. Another great bird hit farther south as well, as a strategic strike against the people." She taught them history of great tragedies of Earth, such as the fall of the world trade centers, and the wars in their history. 

Kate was thriving in this place, but she knew that it wouldn't last as the years passed. Ella knew, as keeper Deshanna's first, she would be chosen to go to the Conclave in 9:42. 

But that worry was easily pushed aside for the time being as Ella taught two new mages that were sent from different clans. Ella herself had become a force to be reckoned with, her magic had become second nature in the two years since Kirkwall.

"Mamae, can you take us to the water to swim?" Kate asked, pulling Ella from her thoughts. She smiled and nodded at her daughter, who had become a young woman before her eyes; her daughter was now thirteen, and was very close to earning her own vallaslin.

This was her life for the time being, but she heard the whispers from the _Shemlen_ who traded with the clan; Mages from all over were inciting violence and Templars were ruthlessly killing them. 

As the weeks passed, Ella had learned a new skill she didn't realize all trueborn Elvhen had in their blood. She knew Morrigan and Solas could change their forms, but so could she! And so could her daughter. 

She learned of this ability when she was out in the woods trying to clear her head after Ar'alen asked for her hand. Kate had come to find her, to learn her mother had turned into a large, red wolf with four violet eyes and white swirls in her fur. That night she sought out her father in the meadow.

"Why did I turn into a wolf as large as a halla? I thought only Fen'Harel could change form outside of the fade." She asked as they sat underneath a large oak tree in the dark, this time she looked up at her moon, the single, beautiful satellite moon of earth. 

"All of us can transform into some kind of animal in which we share likeness in our soul." June explained as he sat with his hands in his lap looking at Earth's stars as Ella remembered them. "Yours is a wolf, like Fen'Harel, not because you're a trickster, but because you have fierceness and loyalty in your heart towards the people. You were made to live among the dalish, Ella. You and Katherine thrive among the people we callously misused in our own time." He explained as he looked to his daughter's marked face and internally cringed. Zhe knew that they were once slave markings, and that she was a pureblood Elvhen, yet she chose to mark herself for her father.

"I love you, dad. You've helped me adjust quickly to our home and kept Kate safe when I couldn't." Ella said and her dad wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving her a sitting side-hug.

"I love you too, Ella. The other children of the pantheon will meet you in 9:42 Dragon, you will know them by their names, and faces. You do not know it,but they've all returned to Thedas to aid you in your upcoming trials and battles. You know what to do, my daughter." She nodded affirmatively at his words before waking in the aravel with Kate next to her, gently snoring.

Recently, her thoughts had rushed back to Fenris; the look on his face the day her connection to the fade was reestablished still broke her heart. He filled her head, the air around her as she sat and washed her clothing in a nearby stream. She didn't even know what had become of him or where'd he had gone. 

She received regular letters from Hawke and Merrill; the Kirkwall alienage was thriving thanks to Merrill's efforts. Merrill had taught others some of Ella's 'tricks and tips' for healthier and cleaner living. They were now boiling water before drinking it, healers would boil bandages before reusing them, as well as any instruments and cots. There was a severe decrease in illnesses and deaths caused by infections now. Rebuilding was taking its toll on every Kirkwall citizen. 

The circle in Kirkwall had officially fallen after the first year, which didn't surprise Ella in the least after she witnessed the way the mages were treated; it really made her wish she still had her _Mage Rights_ dragon age shirt she ordered after playing the second game for the first time. 


	9. The Dalish Ambassador

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another filler chapter, last one until we get to the Conclave! But two more until Haven

  
  


Ella was picking berries when a non-diverted letter came for Deshanna about the Divine’s Conclave, an invitation for an ambassador from the dalish; and to say she was unprepared for the future would be a massive understatement. It would be in the next two months, which meant Kate would need to travel with her mother to Denerim and stay there with Alistair, who had come to be friends with Ella in the past months when she was sent to trade in Denerim. 

Complicated was Ella’s life now as she packed a knapsack with clean clothing, which she knew she wouldn’t have after the conclave exploded thanks to Solas’ magical orb. It also made her wonder if she could use his magic differently because she was of Elvhen blood, but she wouldn’t know unless she was the one to grab hold of the orb at the conclave.

Five years of peace and quiet had shown Ella what a beautiful and unique place Thedas really was. It also showed her how deadly it could be when a boy from her daughter's hunting group was found lynched up in a tree a little too close to the  _ shemlen _ city, Ostwick. She had also met the Trevelyan twins and their younger siblings while in Ostwick. Ella and Kate had been bringing food to the alienage, and when Kate dropped a bag of wheat. Maxwell and Helena Trevelyan and their younger siblings Beatrice, Lucas and Ferdinand had decided to lend a hand and helped them the rest of the way to the alienage.

They were more kind than she could have imagined anyone born to a Bann would be. They had been raised as nobility, only two rungs from Royalty. But they were obviously raised to help those in need, no matter their race. 

Those had been the only other "player characters" she met before heading to Denerim. She had always wondered if one of the player characters had just been one of four people who just happened to be at the conclave, but with her taking Ellana's place at the Divine's meeting, would she alter anything significant? 

She wouldn't know, and yet debated altering the future further by telling the kind twins not to go. She decided to err on the side of caution, and leave things to the Gods in this instance. 

Once in Denerim, Alistair greeted her as if they were old friends, "Ella, my dear friend! Did you bring me more of that delicious goat cheese?" He asked as he hugged her. Queen Elissa hadn't been back to Denerim since their first meeting, but if anyone could find a cure for the taint, it was probably the Hero of Ferelden. 

"Me, come to Denerim without cheese? It would be blasphemous!" She needed as she pulled a cloth from her pack and handed it to Alistair, which elicited a grin. 

"Your pups have done well in their obedience training, Master Syfusz enjoys them almost as much as you do, Lady Lavellan." Alistair began as he led them into the castle, Kate was teenage babbling about the bear she and several other young hunters had taken down. 

Ella spent the better part of a year in Denerim learning how to be a proper Lady before the news from Deshanna came with a rider in the night;

_ Lady Ella Lavellan, Dalish Ambassador to Ferelden _ is what the envelope read as it was handed to her. It was the title bestowed upon her in liu of upcoming events, she would speak for the Dalish mages at the conclave. They were a neutral party, so their voice was one of practicality. The Dalish had now been centuries without circles, or many incidents. Though incidents happened, they were rare; Merrill was the only known bloodmage that had lived with the Dalish in a hundred years.

After kissing Kate goodbye, promising her she would see her daughter soon, she left the safety of Denerim for the chilled road through Ferelden towards the Frostbacks. Her dog Leo at her side. Her armor was nothing like what one would see in a video game; it was comfortable leathers, without the ridiculous vest the Inquisitor wore underneath, but instead of just breeches, she had skirts stop at her thighs in the front, and billow behind her. She wore fingerless gloves, something she didn't understand until she was casting with a wooden staff that left blisters on her hands. Her long hair was in an intricate braided crown around her head and down her back.

Six weeks. It would take six weeks to get to Haven, and then not long after she would be at the Conclave at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. To say she was nervous was icing on the proverbial cake. Every hoofbeat took her closer either to her death, or towards a fate near death as Cassandra may or may not beat her face in. Leliana may or may not remember her from Kirkwall. As a mage, she wouldn't be trusted by most, that she was prepared for. If she died in that Temple, Kate would be without her mother, without the one person in the world who she could depend on to keep her safe. 

At fifteen, Kate knew more about survival than any of her friends back home would. Knew what it was like to be hungry, cold, hunted. What it was to be ridiculed for what would be seen as a physical deformity in their world, and was seen as such here but on a much worse scale. Their ears could get them killed in either world. At least in this one, they had a fighting chance.

  
  
  
  
  



	10. The Breach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HERE IT IS!

Ella was a day's ride from Haven, she could tell as soon as she went through Frostback Pass on her map. The air here had a bone-cold chill to it and snow fell as if seasons didn’t exist. It didn’t take long for her crimson hair to become a nuisance, she quickly released it from it’s loose warrior’s tail and braided the end down her back when she stopped for water. She seriously contemplated cutting it off like Sera. 

Reaching Haven was something of a personal achievement as she smiled inwardly as she rode through the gates. Tents were shoved in every crevice imaginable, and the village was much larger that either Origins or Inquisition ever made it out to be. Ella took no time in changing in her own borrowed tent and began the trek up to the temple, her grey-blue gown billowing in the mountain wind as she held her steelwood staff in one hand. Ellana was always made out to be a spy in the Temple, so why was Ella granted an Ambassadorial seat in the Conclave? It didn’t make much sense to her.

She was stopped at the gate and eyed suspiciously by a guard before handing him her invitation. With another sideways glance, the templar grudgingly allowed her entry to the temple. 

So many people filled the main hall; Mages to one side, Templars to the other. Ella held back tears for them. These people just wanted peace for their people. When she noticed an elderly woman being escorted into a side hall by a warden, Ella followed out of curiosity. 

When Ella reached the hallway, a mage teenager pulled her aside for a chat, “You’re very tall for an elf,” Was all the teenager said, looking at her slender stature.

“Yes, I know. Where are you supposed to be, young one?” She asked, kindness in her voice. 

“My mother is one of the Templars, I am from the Orlesian circle of Magi. I only came to see her.” The young man said, his face falling as he held tight to the staff in his hands. 

“Go find your mother, take her to Haven to talk. Go now.” Ella said, smiling and encouraging the young mage away as he nodded and went to pull a woman aside from her conversations.

For some reason, the song  _ Heathens _ by Twenty-One Pilots came into her head as she heard a woman scream from behind a closed door. She was about to make friends with a lot of them, and she kind of smirked as she ran towards the Divine’s screams.

******

Ella woke in Haven’s chantry dungeon for a few moments, looking up at the elf sat next to her with her left hand in his. And then nothing, blackness seeped into every fiber of her being as it swallowed her. 

Next, she heard arguing; a harsh female voice crashing against a harsh male voice. Cassandra is threatening Solas. She whispered ‘Solas’ before the blackness overtook her again, though she caught the blad elf’s shocked reaction as his head snapped to look at her with confusion.

The next time Ella woke, Solas was gone. She was alone surrounded by sharpened blades at every side as she sat up and tried to rub her eyes, only for her ears and wrists to be assaulted by chains. The ancient shackles bit into the delicate flesh at her wrists as she tried to pull away. Her eyes were blurry as the door swung open to reveal Cassandra and Leliana.

“Seeker Pentaghast, Nightingale.” She said as she tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Will you relieve me of my chains so we can get to closing rifts with this?” She said as Cassandra began to fume.

“Why you piece of…” Cassandra began before being interrupted by Leliana. 

“Lady Marx of Kirkwall, always lovely to see you again. Varric has told us you are a seer, so let’s get you to the rift.” Leliana nodded and ordered a guard to take the chains from her wrists, Leliana handed Ella a staff, and she and Cassandra were off into the village, where some threw food at the elf who would save the known world. The magic that was supposed to  _ burn  _ through her, energized her. Using the mark on rifts wasn’t painful, nor did it spread when it flared. It just gave her a surge of magic, which she used to fight the demons in front of them as they made their way through the Frostback Valley. 

When Cassandra and Ella reached Varric and Solas, she was happy to lend a hand, grabbing a set of daggers from the sheaths of a nearby deceased soldier and driving them into the head of a despair demon who was attacking Solas. 

“Red! Was wondering when you’d show that pretty Elven face in this clusterfuck. Long time, how’s Kate?” Varric said as he went to stand next to her. 

“She’s alright, she’s with Alistair in Denerim training. She’ll be in Haven in a fortnight. How’s Hawke?” Ella asked, giving a knowing look to the dwarf who winked as Solas walked over to them.

“I am Solas, if there are to be introductions. It seems you already know Varric, but how?” Solas asked, looking between the two comrades.

“Red here was a part of Hawke’s little band of heathens in Kirkwall. Went off to live with the Dalish after that.” Varric divulged while Solas eyed her. Lavellan, Cadash, Trevelyan and Adaar would be hissing in pain from the magic flaring in their hand by now, but not Ella. This is what her father expected; she absorbed Solas’ magic where it would burn through a mortal. 

Ella was still coming to terms with her immortality, and Solas looking at her incredulously. She would have to put him in his place, and soon. 

It took them a few hours to reach the forward camp, where Leliana awaited them with the asshole in the robes. They charged with the soldiers, Cullen also gave her a warning look which hurt more than it should after the shock of recognition fell from his face. 

The vision of the Divine begging for her help itched at her brain, she knew what happened, but it was blurred in the back of her memory. Closing the large rift after fighting the Pride demon should have knocked her out for days, but it didn’t. She was able to walk back to Haven of her own volition. 


End file.
